With harvest dust still settling across the Corn Belt and the 2026 midterm elections wrapped, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is sending an urgent message to your lawmakers on Capitol Hill: the clock is ticking, and the time for political posturing is officially over.
As lawmakers returned to Washington for the high-stakes lame-duck session, Michigan grower and newly-seated NCGA President Matt Frostic urged Congress to act immediately on two vital economic lifelines for rural America: permanent year-round E15 sales and a finalized Farm Bill.
“Voters sent a clear message on Nov. 3 that they want to see members of Congress work together and deliver for the American people,” Frostic said in a statement released as lawmakers gavelled back into session.
Double-Barreled Priorities for the Midwest
For Corn Belt producers facing tight margins, input cost pressure, and ongoing market volatility, NCGA’s dual push hits right at the farm gate:
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Year-Round E15 Access: Nationwide authorization for 15% ethanol blends year-round would unlock substantial domestic demand for corn while reducing pain at the pump for consumers and cutting carbon emissions.
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A Responsive Farm Bill: Enhancements in safety-net coverage, crop insurance, and trade development programs passed out of the Senate Agriculture Committee remain stalled, leaving producers navigating multi-year uncertainty.
“We urge Congress to act immediately to pass pending legislation that would allow for the year-round sale of E15,” Frostic stressed. “Such a move would help lower gas prices, bolster the rural economy and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Clearing the Lame-Duck Hurdles
Lame-duck sessions are notoriously fraught with legislative side-tracks, budget showdowns, and political distractions. But with the current Farm Bill extension running on borrowed time, agricultural leaders emphasize that deferring action into the next Congress creates unnecessary risk for farm family balance sheets.
“Corn growers also urge passage of farm bill legislation in Congress that would make USDA programs more effective, efficient and responsive through policy enhancements,” Frostic noted, pointing out that the Senate Ag Committee’s bill already includes explicit language authorizing year-round E15 sales.
The message coming out of NCGA leadership is simple: finish what was started before the calendar turns.
“We hope Congress will ignore the many distractions that are so prevalent during lame duck sessions and demonstrate that they are here to make a difference for the American people,” Frostic said. “They can do that by focusing on getting policy items, like E15 and the farm bill, across the finish line and signed into law this year. Farmers cannot afford further delay.”
